After fighting in WWI, A. A. Milne had PTSD so severe, he was reminded of whizzing bullets by buzzing bees, and cannons firing by balloons popping. Wanting a lighthearted distraction and a way to explain to his son the difficulties of war, he wrote Winnie the Pooh stories as his way of doing so.
Postal Service Releases New Stamps Benefiting Veterans With PTSD
One thing that our divided nation can all get together to support is helping out our veterans. And even though the task may seem daunting to many of us, one easy way we can all help out is by purchasing these new stamps the United States Postal Service has put out to benefit military veterans suffering from Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Sales of the stamps (which cost 65 cents and will cover the cost of a piece of first-class mail) will benefit the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, which oversees the National Center for PTSD.
United States Postal Service releases new stamp benefiting veterans with PTSD https://t.co/4YhrJSNxBX pic.twitter.com/v5jMh7fooe
— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 7, 2019
The photo of the plant sprouting from ground surrounded by dead leaves on the stamp was taken by Mark Laita. The USPS says the image on the stamp is meant to “symbolize the PTSD healing process, growth and hope.”
The USPS explained the motivation behind the stamp:
“With this semipostal stamp, the U.S. Postal Service will raise funds to help treat those impacted by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Tens of millions of Americans will experience PTSD in their lifetimes. Today, the nation is increasingly dedicated to compassionately treating this mental health issue.
Many kinds of trauma can lead people to experience persistent symptoms such as intrusive thoughts, nightmares, and difficulty sleeping. Depression, anxiety, and fear can also occur. Though these symptoms may initially interrupt one’s daily life, for most people they typically dissipate over time. However, if these problems continue for more than a month, PTSD may have developed.”
This veteran is educating his community about mental illness by opening up about his own journey with PTSD pic.twitter.com/MYhAffE3h0
— Tomthunkit
(@TomthunkitsMind) December 26, 2019
Go to your local post office to pick up these stamps or you can order them online HERE. Your money will go to a great cause.
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Good News for Pet Owners! Silent Fireworks Exist and a Town in Italy Is Already Using Them.
You know who doesn’t love the excitement of a good fireworks show?
Your dog or cat, that’s who.
Which explains why July 5 is the busiest day for animal shelters throughout the United States. The spectacular fireworks shows used to celebrate the nation’s freedom means a night of confusion and fear for many pets who will do anything to get away from the noise. Even if it means running away from home.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
If the poor runaways don’t get scooped up and taken to a shelter, they can sometimes end up getting hit by a car. They can also suffer nausea and heart problems from the stress.
But one town in Italy has decided to put pets and wildlife first when it comes to city-wide celebrations.
Collecchio in the Parma province has required its citizens to use only silent fireworks, protecting animals from the stress and anxiety of a traditional cracking and booming fireworks display.
Photo Credit: Pexels
Silent fireworks have all the brightness and illumination of regular fireworks. There’s even the noise of the ignition, but it’s not loud enough to frighten animals. No big bang and pop to scare pets or birds. Just a lovely trail of sparkles in the sky.
Setti Fireworks, an Italian company, designs the quieter pyrotechnics with customized colors and designs for Collecchio, which has made it against the law to use normal fireworks within their city.
The result is better visual effects, colors and even lasers that have replaced the noise, keeping spectators’ excitement levels up and animals’ stress levels down.
Photo Credit: Pixnio
How do silent fireworks…work?
Actually, they are not a new invention. Classic shows use silent fireworks all the time to accompany big bangs. Comet tails that fizzle are a good example of these. So maybe they aren’t technically silent, but they are much less startling.
Animal friendly displays are beginning to catch on in popularity in many countries around the globe. Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone – small children, veterans dealing with battle trauma and our pets – could enjoy the fun of a celebratory fireworks display?
Let’s hope less scary fireworks shows become the norm soon.
The post Good News for Pet Owners! Silent Fireworks Exist and a Town in Italy Is Already Using Them. appeared first on UberFacts.
MDMA (aka ecstasy) can help…
MDMA (aka ecstasy) can help alleviate PTSD, even after taking it just once or twice. In a 2018 study, 100% of participants showed reduced symptoms of PTSD one year after the trial. 67% lost their PTSD diagnosis altogether. To be clear, the MDMA was used during talk therapy sessions. You can’t just pop a pill […]